Nothing Else Matters by Leslie Dubois Page A

was exactly what she did not want to happen. She was in no mood for high school drama. That was one reason she'd never had a serious boyfriend. She didn't think any boy was worth the effort of navigating the social quagmire of high school dating. Her worst nightmare was failing a test or something because she'd been too busy crying over a boy to study.  And she thought it was absolutely ridiculous when girls fought over boys. From her tone, it seemed as though that was exactly what Amber Freaking Sullivan wanted to do.
    "No, I'm not kidding you. I know you've had your eye on him for years. This whole best friend thing was an act to get close to him so you could steal him away at the right time."
    "Amber, I didn't steal him away. You two broke up." Reyna spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child, since that was the way Amber chose to behave.
    "We did not."Amber crossed her arms and stomped her foot. "And even if we did...it was only like a few hours ago. I change my mind. "
    "You don't get a ‘do over.' This is not fourth grade . I am not having this conversation," Reyna said, turning to walk away.
    "I'm warning you, Reyna. Stay away from him or else!"Amber called after her.
       Reyna ignored her and went to the parking lot to meet Scottie.
    "You ready to go?" Scott said when Reyna met him at his car at the beginning of lunch.  He kissed her on the lips, and then held the door of his red Mustang open for her.
      "Scott, I'm not really hungry. Why don't we grab a bite some other time?" Reyna closed the door and took a step away from him.
      He must have sensed something more was wrong than a loss of appetite. Reyna noticed his jaw clench.
      "What's going on, Rey?"
      "Nothing. I just think that maybe we need to slow this down a bit. I mean, up until last night you were dating Amber Sullivan. Then this morning you're kissing me in the hallway. The entire school thinks I'm a man-stealing tramp or something. I mean, you should see the looks the girls on the cheerleading squad are giving me. I really ... I just don't want this drama."
      "Since when do you care about what other people think? What else is up?"
      Reyna sighed. She didn't want to tell him about the racial aspect. He wouldn't understand. He would think it was just an excuse. But it was tough going to a high school with only twelve black students. Those other eleven people were like her family. Besides their weekly MSA meetings and their Saturday study sessions, they sat together at lunch, hung out in the evenings and even took vacations together.
    They were the only ones that understood what it was like being black and attending a rich predominantly white private school. They weren't all poor and on scholarship, Derek's father, for example was a doctor, but each of them still had to struggle. The simple act of trying to repudiate stereotypes day in and day out was exhausting. But when she was with the other black students, she didn't have to worry about that. She could just be. Her relationship with Scott almost felt like a betrayal of her relationship with her black friends.
      "Can't we talk about this later, Scottie?"
      Scott closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine, we'll talk later. But, Reyna, you're crazier than a ballet dancing bull if you think I'm gonna let you go."
      Catching her off guard, he pulled her close to him and planted a kiss on her lips that she couldn't deny. No, she wouldn't be able to let him go either.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 16
     
    Going to vote in a national election for the first time wasn't the joyous occasion Reyna thought it would be. She wanted to go with Scott so she could have some company while she waited in line, but he was probably off fuming somewhere, still upset that she had wimped out on lunch. She couldn't even vote with her father as he had woken up at five so he could be first in line before going to work. So there she was, standing in a line that stretched for three blocks. She regretted leaving her